A council leader has said the multi-million-pound cost of transport links for an eco-town was just one of the scheme's “major flaws”.

Last week The Argus revealed that road and rail links to make the Ford eco-town, near Arundel, accessible would cost up to £120 million.

But they could spiral even further after the Highways Agency deemed the current road plans unacceptable.

Gillian Brown, leader of Arun District Council, said the council's special select committee that investigated the viability of the Ford bid last year identified the transport plans as one of the scheme’s “major flaws”.

She said: “It seemed there was a complete under-assessment of the impact 5,000 new homes and the private cars that would come as a result would have on our roads, and the proposal has not been accepted by the Department of Transport either.

“Aside from that, surely an ‘eco’ settlement should not even bring with it more cars and carbon emissions at a cost of millions of pounds.

“It seems to have highlighted a large contradiction between the ethos of an eco-town and the reality of delivering it at Ford.”

Ford is one of 11 potential sites for an eco-town which have been shortlisted by the Government.

The plans for the former airfield include at least 5,000 homes, two primary schools and a secondary school.

The consultation on the financial viability of the proposed towns runs until April 30.